Standing Between Light and Darkness
by RussianBlues
Summary: Chazz Princeton was born in the lap of luxury. Despite getting what ever his heart desires, he still struggles with finding a place in the family. Unwanted by his father, hated by his brothers, and ignored by his mother, his only desire is to be cared about. When Chazz discovers dueling, he meets a friend unlike any other, one that can help him succeed in ways he couldn't imagine.
1. Episode 1: A Child Born from the Storm!

A/N: So I've wanted to write this for a long time now. I've been collecting headcanons, watching the characters interact on the anime/taken the manga into consideration, and now here it is: an unofficial backstory to Chazz Princeton! I love this character and I feel there's a lot more going on with him than what we're given, so it should be an interesting and—spoiler—heartbreaking ride. It starts with his birth, and we learn a little about what kind of family he is thrown into. So enough talk, enjoy the story! Please write a review if you're interested in seeing more, constructive criticism and reviews help fuel my motivation and produce higher quality chapters.

 **Episode 1**

 **A Child Born from the Storm!**

Victor Princeton, owner and founder of the Princeton Group of Domino City, sat thoughtfully in his study. His study was a retreat, a hideaway from his hectic and loud daily life. He gently picked up his cup of steaming green tea and sat on the leather sofa, watching the dancing flames in the stone fireplace.

The lights of Domino City flickered like stars outside the tall, crystal-clear glass windows. As thin as the glass was, it was a physical—and mental—barrier against the world.

His eyes wandered to the large painting on the mantel. It was a commissioned piece of him and his family. His wife, Genevieve, and two sons, Slade and Jagger, sat beside his own likeness. Each one wore a crisp outfit that reflected the professionalism of the household. It was a perfect family and everything went according to what he laid out years ago as a young man.

Genevieve was the faultless apple of everyone's eye, and Victor's ultimate prize. She was a beautiful woman with alabaster skin and gray eyes; she had striking raven hair that cascaded beyond her shoulders in a shimmering wave. She was intelligent, but reserved, not speaking a word unless she really had something to say. Her voice was soft and gentle like a breeze.

Victor loved her and promised her the world—and everything in it that her delicate heart would desire. She came from a wealthy family herself and was an only child. Genevieve was used to being doted on and having her every wish fulfilled.

His eldest son was a dark-haired boy named Slade, who took after his mother. He was a people person, and could manipulate them and their thoughts like putty. Victor planned for him to be a leading politician, and gave him the best education his fortune could offer.

His youngest son was named Jagger, and he took after Victor himself. With short, gray hair and icy gray eyes, he was a spitting image of the old man himself. Jagger, from little on, loved money, and always boasted about helping his older brother with his campaigns. Victor, sensing the boy's strength in finances, gave him the best education money could buy as well, and soon Jagger was up there with his brother.

The duo found many successes, and Victor couldn't have been more proud. He was not much of a presence in their lives, but he made sure that they would be successful, that they were special, and that they were the top dogs.

Victor sat deeper into the sofa, enjoying the warmth of the fire. He was feeling content for once. He was happy with what he accomplished, what fate had gifted him. He had a beautiful wife, and two gifted sons. A successful company that continued his high-class way of life, and every amenity he could ever dream of.

Suddenly, Victor heard a knock on the door. Snapping him out of his trance, he grunted, "Enter. And it better be important."

It was Genevieve. She had her flowing, ghostly nightgown on, as well as a worried, concerned expression. He thought he noticed the glint of a tear in the corner of her eyes.

"Victor?" She stepped in gingerly.

"What is it, dear?" His voice quickly changed its tone when he realized that his wife seemed to be troubled.

She didn't spare any time before holding out a white, plastic stick and announcement to go along with it. "I'm pregnant."

Victor was stunned. He was speechless, utterly speechless. His family was already perfect; they didn't need this child. His other sons were already eleven years old! They were done having a family; they discussed this and agreed to this an entire decade ago.

This child was a mistake, Victor thought angrily. And there was no room for mistakes in his family.

•

It was two whole weeks past the due date; it was already the first of August. The hot weather was not letting up, and the forecast predicted storms later that evening.

Genevieve sat in her rocking chair, gazing at the walls of the newly renovated nursery. She never thought she would need to use this room again. Resting her palms against her bulging stomach, she could feel her restless child. A little kick against her hand told her that he was vivacious and well, which relieved some of the anxiety she was feeling with the late due date.

She felt bitter sweetness about the whole ordeal. She hated how this child was so sudden, and that he would grow up alone. Slade and Jagger at least had each other for companionship. But on the other hand, Genevieve loved this baby as equally as the previous two. He was still a part of this family, even if he wasn't entirely planned.

"Mom…?" Slade opened the wooden door so he could poke his head through. She noticed that Jagger was right behind him.

"Come in." She replied softly.

The two boys walked in, and looked around. With the backdrop of the nursery, Genevieve forgot how much her two sons had grown. It felt eons ago that she held their tiny, warm bodies against her breast.

"The baby gets all new stuff?" Jagger spat. "I always got Slade's old clothes and toys." He crossed his skinny arms and glared at his older brother who gave him a narrowed gaze right back.

"You boys were babies a decade ago, of course I'm going to have all new things for this baby." Genevieve explained. "We sold your toys when you were too old for them."

Slade picked up a plush kitten from the wooden crib, and then looked back over his shoulder towards his mother. "Is it going to be a boy or a girl?"

Genevieve had wanted it to be a surprise. Victor hasn't talked about the matter, or at least, he avoided the topic when he could. So of course he never expressed a prediction of the new baby's sex. Personally, Genevieve hoped for a girl. "We don't know sweetheart, we have to wait until they come along."

"Well, they're taking their sweet time." Jagger tried to steal the plush away from Slade, who fought back.

"I want it!"

"No!"

The two brothers fought a tug-of-war over the plush, eventually ripping the arm off of it. Stuffing flew in the nursery like a snowstorm.

Genevieve rarely raised her voice, but her hormones were running wild and the two boys ruining the baby's toys threw her over the edge.

"OUT!" She shouted, pointing to the door.

"But mom—"

"I said OUT!" Genevieve repeated. The boys raced out of the door and into the hallway, where she could hear their conversation.

"Stupid baby." Slade growled.

"No one even wants it, that's what father told me." Jagger added with a scoff. "It's a dumb _reject_." After his blistering comment came a low roll of thunder, followed by the hissing of rain.

Genevieve sat back down in her rocking chair, rubbing her swollen belly. The sudden jumping and outrage at her sons was too much, and threw her into contractions.

She felt a quick kick, and another right after that.

The baby was coming.

With a painful groan, she called for the family maid to help her out to the room where she would eventually deliver her third child.

•

Genevieve held a small baby boy in her arms, and could hear its new cries ringing in her ears. The birth itself went smoothly, no hang-ups or severe problems. Which was all a sweet relief for the mother and father. Victor couldn't imagine losing his wife during the birth. Especially since it could have been prevented.

"Congrats on your new son," the doctor smiled sweetly. "He seems to be healthy, we'll do a check-up once you have some time alone to bond with him." With that, she left, closing the door on the Princeton couple.

Victor looked at his third son, who was curled up in his mother's arms. He was a little copy of Genevieve, with pale skin and raven-black hair that was spiked in all different directions. For a newborn, he had a full mop of hair, Victor noticed. The baby stopped crying when Genevieve held him closer, and he was able to feed.

The boy was noticeably smaller than his siblings when they were born. He was only 7 pounds, and 17 inches. A tiny little scrap. And that was with him missing his due date by two extra weeks. He definitely wasn't the strong and powerful image that Victor dreamed up for his family.

"What are we going to name him?" Genevieve glanced up and locked eyes with Victor. The baby stopped feeding and nuzzled closer to his mother with a little squeak.

"Whatever you want." Victor had no name planned for this child; after all, he really wanted nothing to do with him. He did his part with Slade and Jagger. "Whatever you want," he repeated under his breath and looked away, breaking the gaze between him and his wife.

There was a long pause of sustained silence, with only noise being the child's soft whimpers.

"Charles." Genevieve announced. "His name is Charles Victor Princeton. I'm going to give our child a meaningful name this time. He'll be named after your father… and you." As she explained the meaning, she snuggled her child up close, giving him a tiny kiss on his rosy cheek.

Victor narrowed his eyes. Of course she tried to guilt-trip him into being a part of this child's life by naming him after himself, and his father. He was barely there for Slade and Jagger; did she really think that he would be more of a presence this time around?

"Think of all the cute nicknames he will have!" Genevieve giggled, kissing Charles again. "I think Charlie would be cute, don't you think?" She looked up at her husband with wide, sparkling gray eyes.

"I, uh, think that works."

She then turned her attention to the baby. "What do _you_ think? What does the wittle Charles think? Are you a Charlie?" She cooed. "I've heard of Chazz as well, maybe that would fit you better?"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"It's the maid, may I and the boys see the baby?" Ms. Bird, the Princeton family head maid, asked.

"Enter," Victor said.

A plump woman with gray hair pulled up into a messy bun led Slade and Jagger into the room. "Lets see the little one!" Her excited grin stretched from ear-to-ear.

"His name is Charles Victor Princeton," Genevieve told her proudly.

"I think his name should be Ugly," Jagger grumbled under his breath. Slade overheard the comment and laughed to himself.

Ms. Bird heard the jab as well and slapped both of them upside the head. "Shush! You two better be nice to your little brother, with such a huge age gap, you are going to be role models."

Slade and Jagger looked at each other with a look of disapproval across their contorted faces.

"What a beautiful little angel," Ms. Bird cooed, giving the baby a little wave. "Hello little Charles!"

Charles opened his eyes to see where the new voice was coming from. He gazed curiously at the rest of his family, tilting his head to get a better look.

"Can I hold him?" Slade reached out with his hands towards his baby brother.

"No, I want to!" Jagger shoved him aside.

"Boys! You both better calm down and act civilized if you want to hold him. We don't want you to drop the poor thing!" Ms. Bird scolded them harshly once again. "Now act your age if you want to be treated like it."

"We're sorry," the boys said in unison.

Genevieve patted the space on the bed beside her, indicating that the two could jump up and sit with her. "Now be gentle, he's very fragile, and hold his head like this," she demonstrated, "because he doesn't have developed neck muscles like you do."

Slade held Charles in his arms. "Hello, Charles." He said coldly. "I'm your biggest brother."

"And I'm your second biggest," Jagger piped up.

"I'm sure we'll get to know each other very well," Slade narrowed his eyes. Charles smiled in response, feeling a false sense of security that will soon vanish over time.


	2. Episode 2: A Future Duelist Awakens!

A/N: Wow, I meant to have this done a long time ago, but schoolwork and writer's block said otherwise. This is when little Chazz is introduced to Duel Monsters, and gets his first deck. Please read and enjoy! Feel free to leave a review as well, those help with motivation and constructive criticism is always appreciated.

 **Episode 2**

 **A Future Duelist Awakens!**

Spring came and went, and summer arrived with blazing temperatures and rolling storms.

It was the end of his first school year, and young Chazz Princeton was eagerly waiting for summer. There was so much to look forward too: swimming in his pool, hanging out with friends, and playing baseball. Though he didn't mind school either; it was interesting and kept his attention. The other kids weren't all that bad too, even though he was shy and mainly kept to himself.

The morning began like any other; Chazz woke up in a pile of blankets and pillows. His favorite plush kitten, that he had since he was born, was lying on top of his face. Placing it aside, he stretched, gave a yawn, and got out of bed. Chazz dressed himself into his school uniform (he was a big boy, he didn't need help from anyone), and ran downstairs to the dining hall for breakfast with his mother and two older brothers.

When he sauntered into the dining hall, Ms. Bird, the family's head maid, greeted Chazz with a grin. "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today, Chazz?" The maid laughed. "Your hair is just all over the place!"

Chazz ran a hand through his thick, spiky black hair. He forgot to comb his hair again, whoops. He made a mental note to add that to his morning routine.

"Good morning, Chazz." Chazz's mother sat at the end of the long, mahogany dining table, she daintily ate a piece of toast on her blue china plate. Her voice was just as delicate as the plate.

"Good morning, mama." Chazz stood on his toes and tried to climb up onto the dining chair, but it was too high with his booster seat there. He hated that thing; it kept reminding him how much of a child he still was, and how small he was compared to his older brothers. He still had a lot of growing left to do.

Sensing the youngest Princeton needed help; the maid swooped in and scooped him up, and placed the boy in his seat.

"What do you say, Chazz?" His mother's piercing gray eyes looked at him expectantly. She raised a thin eyebrow for added effect.

Chazz looked up at the maid and said, "Thank you." His mother nodded softly in approval.

"Slade, Jagger, do you need anything?" The maid turned her attention to the two young men sitting together on the other side of the table. Slade was the one had broad shoulders, and curly, long, black hair. Jagger was sitting beside him, and was smaller and thinly built with short silver hair. Chazz's gaze wandered over to his brothers. He had a mixed feeling of awe and fear towards them. "Would you like a refill of your orange juice?"

"No thank you, Ms. Bird." Slade's voice was deep, with a threatening edge that sent shivers of fear down Chazz's spine. Out of both of his older brothers, Slade was the one who had the brute force to back up his threats.

"Though I'll have some more," Jagger's voice was smooth, with an icy chill to it. Ms. Bird poured some more fresh-squeezed juice into his empty glass. Jagger was the one to come up with terrifying and twisted methods of bullying, in Chazz's eyes; he was the brains of the two.

Chazz stared down at his untouched waffle; the butter that topped it was melting rapidly, soaking in the fluff. Suddenly he didn't feel so hungry anymore. The thought of his brothers replaced the feeling of hunger with dread. Flashbacks of the various tortures they put him through burned deeper into his mind, and made him sick. His stomach flopped and a wave of nausea crashed over him.

"Is everything okay, Chazz?" Ms. Bird appeared beside the boy, looking concerned. "Is it not to your liking, I can remake—"

"No, no." Chazz picked up a fork and began to wolf down the waffle forcefully. "Mph, it'sh delishush!" When he swallowed, the lump of half-chewed waffle was caught in his throat, making him choke a bit.

Mrs. Princeton glanced at the large, ornate grandfather clock in the hall. "Chazz, it's almost time for you to go to school. You better hurry."

"I'll be fine, mom." Chazz chugged the rest of his juice and hopped (well, more like fell) out of his chair, juice dripping all over the corners of his mouth, making a mess.

"Oh no, you get back here!" Ms. Bird was chasing after him with a cloth napkin. "Haven't you heard of a napkin?!"

Chazz grabbed his book bag, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and ran out the door before the maid could catch him. He was off to school.

The walk to school was fairly nice. On bad weather days, his mother had him driven to school by the family chauffeur, so his outfit didn't get ruined in the rain. Chazz always preferred to walk though; it was nice to see what everyone else was up to (he was quite nosy). He loved the hustle and bustle of the streets, and looking in the shop windows for anything that caught his eye.

"Chazz! Chazz, wait up!" A voice called from behind. A young boy with tawny, short, spiked hair ran up behind Chazz, and was out of breath. His bookbag was filled to the brim, and Chazz thought that the boy might fall over from lack of balance.

"Oh, hi, Raizou." Chazz blinked.

Raizou was gasping for air as he explained himself. "I woke up late today and just finished breakfast. Good thing I caught up to you!"

Chazz felt relieved that he wasn't the only one who was off schedule. "Well, c'mon, let's get going before we're really late!" He slung his backpack over both shoulders and hustled down the sidewalk towards the school, with Raizou hot on his heels.

•

It was lunchtime and all the children were eating and playing outside on the playground. Chazz sat with his lunchbox in his lap as his two friends, Raizou and Taiyou, sat on either side of him.

"Blech, my mom packed me carrots again. Chazz, do you want them?" Taiyou held the bag of baby carrots in front of Chazz's face.

The dark-haired boy swatted it away and spat, "Ew! No way. I hate carrots." In fact, the reason he hated them so much was because he was allergic to them. He didn't want to experience that horrible reaction ever again. Plus they were bitter to him.

"Oh, I'll take them!" Raizou snatched them away from his friend and began munching loudly on the veggies.

"What did your mom pack for you, Chazz? Anything you want to trade?" Taiyou asked, peering over to peek inside the lunchbox.

"Ms. Bird always packs my lunches, my mom doesn't have time for that." Chazz rummaged through his lunchbox, looking for anything good. Inside, he found: a cheese and turkey sandwich, a pudding cup, some apple slices with caramel, a juice box (grape too!), and two fun-sized candy bars.

"Wow, you got quite the lunch." Raizou squeaked. "It looks yummy."

"I'll give you my yogurt cup for your pudding! It's strawberry flavored." Taiyou held out the unopened yogurt. "I have a spoon too."

Before Chazz could confirm the trade, he heard a bunch of shouting erupt on the other side of the playground. "What's that?" He tilted his head to the side in wonder.

"I dunno," Taiyou shrugged.

"Let's go check it out!" Raizou quickly rose to his feet and lead the way.

The three boys were met by a large ring of children, all of them cheering and shouting at two other boys in the center. Chazz noticed that each boy had a device on his arm. There were strange creatures standing in between them, and Chazz couldn't tell if they were real or not. Definitely different than the creatures he saw in his backyard or at the zoo.

"What do you think is going on?" Taiyou took off his glasses in order to clean them so he could get a better look.

"I can't see!" Raizou complained as he stood on his tiptoes over the heads in the crowd.

Chazz made his way through the bodies, and soon ended up in the front row. Even though he could see much better, he still had no idea what event was taking place.

"I sacrifice my Giant Rat in order to summon my Battle Steer!" Chazz noticed the large rodent disappear; only to be replaced by a monster twice its size! He wondered what the boy was going to do next. "Then I play the spell card Rush Recklessly to add 700 extra attack points. Then, I attack your Apprentice Magician!"

Chazz watched as the two monsters fought, with the Battle Steer edging out for the win.

"Argh, I lost!" The light-haired boy dropped to his knees in defeat. Both creatures vanished before their eyes, like they weren't even there in the first place.

"Hand over the prize!" The winner held out his hand and received a toy truck from the loser.

Chazz was very curious about this game and decided to ask the two what they were playing.

"Excuse me!" Chazz waved to them.

"Hm?" The light-haired boy looked over his shoulder and noticed Chazz.

Chazz ran over to them, with Raizou and Taiyou following close. "What game were you two playing?"

The boys looked at each other and laughed. "You don't know? It's only the greatest and latest game out there, it's called Duel Monsters."

"Duel Monsters?" Chazz repeated. The odd name only further pushed his curiosity.

"Yeah, Duel Monsters. It's a card game, but the Kaiba Corporation made these Duel Disks, and they make holograms of the cards." One of the boys explained, holding out the device on his arm.

There was so much to take in, but Chazz knew that he wanted to play this game. Maybe his brothers would know about it.

•

"Do you know anything about Duel Monsters?" Chazz piped up as he hung onto the back of the ornate sofa.

"No playing on the furniture, Chazz." Slade picked up his baby brother by the shirt collar and plucked him off of the couch with ease (Chazz was very light weight for his age so it was really nothing). Setting him back onto his feet, he asked, "Now what's this about Duel Monsters?"

"Do you know what it is?" Chazz held his ragged, plush kitten tight. "Jagger told me to 'piss off'." He made air quotes and stressed the 'piss off' part.

"Chazz, don't say that word." Slade reprimanded. Chazz nodded rapidly in agreement. "And to answer your question, yes, I do know about Duel Monsters." The eldest brother sat back into the leather couch and placed his high-tech laptop on his lap. "It's a card game, yes?"

"Yeah!" Chazz scrambled up to sit by his brother. "Do you play it?"

Slade chuckled and continued to work on business. "No, I don't. I don't have time for games."

Chazz hugged his plushie tighter against his chest. "Why not?"

"Because I'm an _adult_ with _adult_ responsibilities, I don't have the time to play games like you do." Slade's voice grew cold. Chazz sat on his knees and hunched over in thought.

"Well, I'm gonna play." The young Princeton announced with a fierce look of determination, his gray eyes narrowed.

Not looking up from his computer screen, Slade replied, "Do you now? Well, you need a deck."

"Where do I get one?" Chazz asked.

Slade narrowed his eyes. "How would I know?" He snapped. "Look for yourself."

Chazz, scared by his elder brother's sudden burst of annoyance, scampered off to his room.

He climbed the winding, wooden stairs that lead to his room on the third floor. Chazz noticed the door to his bedroom was already open, much to his surprise. When he cautiously stepped inside, he found Ms. Bird folding his laundry.

"Hi, Chazz!" She said cheerfully with a smile. "How was school?"

Chazz then strolled in and jumped up onto the bed, and hid under the sheets. Poking his face out, he answered the maid. "It was okay."

"What did you learn?" Ms. Bird continued the conversation as she did her chores. "Anything interesting?"

"I learned about a new game called Duel Monsters." Chazz sat up, with his blankets wrapped around his shoulders. His school tie was coming undone, so he just tossed it aside. "Have you heard of it?"

Ms. Bird thought to herself for a moment. "I'm not familiar with the game myself, but I do know it appears on the news every now and then, especially with that Kaiba Corporation."

"I really want to play, but Slade and Jagger won't teach me. They say they're too busy for games." Chazz re-covered himself in his blankets and rolled over so he was wrapped up tight.

"I wouldn't let them ruin your fun," Ms. Bird patted the lump that was Chazz under the blankets. "How about I take you to the store tomorrow to get your deck started?"

Chazz peeked out excitedly. "Really?"

"Really really." Ms. Bird grinned in reply.

•

It was the next day, and Ms. Bird was reminded eagerly by Chazz to visit the local game shop to buy his new deck. The two were walking down the busy streets, with Chazz leading the way. He hopped over cracks in the concrete, peered into the shop windows, and petted every dog that was out for a walk (and a few stray cats too).

"Don't wander too far off there, Chazz." Ms. Bird warned. "I don't want to explain to your parents how you got lost."

"Hurry, Ms. Bird! I want to get my deck." The little boy ran back to the maid, grabbed her hand, and began leading her by force into the tiny shop. A little bell tinkled when they opened the glass door, alerting the storeowner of their presence.

Almost immediately, Chazz was overwhelmed by the amount of gaming products that this store stocked. There were board games, card games, dice, play mats, and a whole bunch of other things that were completely unknown to him. It was a lot to take in.

"Hello!" An elderly man greeted the two, breaking Chazz out of his trance. He sat behind a glass counter, counting and sorting various trading cards. His hair was gray and wiry, along with his mustache that twitched when he talked. "What can I do for you today?"

"I'm here with little Chazz to buy a… Duel Monsters? Is that what it is? Deck for him." Ms. Bird placed a hand on Chazz's shoulder.

"Duel Monsters? Why, my grandson is really into that game. He's not too shabby either, if I don't say so myself." The elderly man smiled with genuine pride.

"He is?" Chazz broke free of his shyness and piped up. "What's his name?"

"Yugi." The shop owner answered. "So you want a Duel Monsters deck?—"

"Yes!" Chazz bounced up and down excitedly.

"Well then, lets see what I can do for you," the man wandered over to several shelves filled with colorful boxes. "What kind of deck are you interested in? Spellcasters, Pyros, Machine, Fiends, Dragons—"

"Dragons?!" The little boy gasped. "There are dragons?"

"Oh you bet. All kinds of dragons, I know Seto Kaiba plays the most legendary dragon of all, The Blue-Eyes White Dragon." The evidence of the young CEO's love for the card was plastered all over Domino City. In fact, the local amusement park, Kaiba Land, was themed off of the card itself.

"Can I have a dragon deck?!" Chazz put his small hands on the counter.

"Chazz, use your manners," Ms. Bird scolded.

"Can I PLEASE have a dragon deck?" Chazz corrected his speech, and looked at Ms. Bird for approval.

The old man laughed. "How about I set you up with a basic starter deck, so you can learn the rules easily? Then come back and we can update it to dragons."

Chazz tried to mask his disappointment. "Okay."

"You seem like a bright, young boy; I'm sure you'll learn fast." The shop owner went behind the counter and grabbed a box from off the shelf. He then handed it to Chazz.

"What deck is this?" He tipped his head to the side and looked up at the man, and then back to the box. The box artwork featured a small window with a glance to the featured card artwork inside. "There's a picture of a dragon on this one!" He said excitedly.

"Yup, it's going to be your trump card," the elderly man pointed out. "You're going to want to do your best to bring him out."

"Okay, so I'll win if I get this card out?" Chazz began to pry open the box to take a better look. Like most children, he was shredding the cardboard and mutilating the tape in the destructive process.

"Here, let me help," Ms. Bird tried to take away the box to open it in a more gentle manner (she was worried that Chazz might destroy the cards on the inside), but Chazz swiped it away before she could get her hand on it.

"No!" He whined. "It's mine, I wanna open it!"

"I'm just trying to help, but okay." Ms. Bird stepped back. "Just be careful to not ruin any of the cards."

When Chazz finally opened the starter deck box, he looked at all the colorful contents, taking some of them out and inspecting them closer. "Wow, that's a lot."

"This deck has 40 cards. The box comes with a play mat, rule book, and even a strategy guide." The shop owner smiled.

While Chazz was busy pawing through everything, Ms. Bird paid the older man for the cards, and then turned to the youngest Princeton. "What do you say, Chazz?" She prodded.

"Thank you, Mister!" Chazz looked up at the man with a grin.

"You can call me Mr. Mutou," he smiled. Chazz nodded quickly and followed Ms. Bird out the door, giving Mr. Mutou a wave before disappearing around the corner.

•

Chazz sat on the couch, sinking into the plush cushions. He shuffled through all the cards in his hand. There were some foil cards included in this too! He held one of them out under a lamp, making it sparkle and shine with a rainbow brilliance. He was awestruck by how awesome these pieces of paper worked.

"What do you have there?" A cold voice made Chazz's heart stop and his stomach sink.

"N-nothing, Jagger." He shrunk back instinctively, trying to avoid Jagger's harsh, analyzing gaze.

"Nah, I think you have something there, Chazz. Let me see it!" The older brother grabbed the deck from Chazz, and roughly went through the cards.

"Careful! You might ruin them!" Chazz cried.

"So? Just buy some more." Jagger retorted. He peered closer at the cards. "This is Duel Monsters, isn't it?" His stare snapped back to Chazz.

"Y-yes—"

"Why are you playing some kind of game? You have a duty as a son of Victor Princeton to be successful; just like Slade and I." Before Chazz could say anything back, Jagger continued his rant. "You're useless, fucking _useless_ , your brother and I began our path to greatness even younger than you. We didn't play games."

"What's going on? Why are you yelling?" Ms. Bird appeared with a basket of laundry. "Jagger, you know that there's no raising your voice in the house." She scolded.

"Sorry, Ms. Bird." He snarled.

"Don't you have better things to get done than picking on your little brother?" She raised an eyebrow.

The older boy narrowed his eyes and eventually nodded in agreement. He left the room without saying another word.

"Th-thanks, M-Ms. Bird," Chazz was still frozen in fear after the encounter with his brother. Thankfully, Slade wasn't there. Otherwise he would have a lot more bruises and scrapes.

"It's no problem. Continue playing; like I said before, don't let your brothers ruin your fun." She patted him on the shoulder, and left.

Chazz felt tears at the corners of his gray eyes. Maybe he was useless; all he did was want to play a game, where Jagger and Slade were really successful. He didn't have any ambitions, he didn't know what he wanted to accomplish in his life. His brothers, they were dedicated.

Maybe he could be dedicated to Duel Monsters, maybe that should be his ambition.

He wiped away the tears so he could read the card text better. He had to be good at something; he had to have a goal in life. Why not have it be this.


	3. Episode 3: A Meeting with a Champion!

A/N: Well it's been a year and I'm finally returning to this story! I had about 1/3 of the chapter written a year ago and finally finished it all today (actually wrote 3000+ words in a sitting o_O) The plot will be advancing and there are some characters making appearances here from the first series! Hope you enjoy and please fave, follow, comment and critique, it REALLY helps with motivation . plus I would love to become a better author and make this story really stand out! Enough rambling, enjoy the newest chapter!

 **Episode 3**

 **Duel Monsters Tournament:**

 **A Meeting with the Champion!**

"Chazz, eat your carrots!" Jagger stabbed a cooked carrot with a fork and pushed it into Chazz's face, who was nearly in tears. Slade was pinning his youngest brother to the table by the neck, and with his other free hand, he held Chazz's arms behind his back, preventing him from running away.

"No!"

"You need your vegetables, now eat it!" His older brother added another carrot on top of the first one. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way!"

Genevieve strolled into the dining hall, and took a seat at the dinner table. "What is all the commotion—are you trying to give Chazz carrots?" She roared, her cheeks flushing pink with rage.

Immediately knowing that he was caught, Jagger dropped the fork with the carrots and sat back at his own seat. Chazz was trembling and crossed his arms protectively over him.

"You know damn well that Chazz is allergic to carrots, you could really hurt him!" Genevieve continued.

"I'm sorry," Jagger grumbled. Genevieve accepted the apology, but Chazz knew that the older brother didn't have a shred of sincerity in his apology.

"I expect better out of his older brother," Their mother added with a piercing glare. Before she took a bite of her own meal, she mentioned: "To change the subject, your grandparents are visiting this weekend, and I want you three to be on your _best_ behavior. No fighting."

"Don't worry mother, we will be on our best behavior for grandmother and grandfather," Jagger smiled coldly and glanced over at Chazz, who was still shaking and trying to catch his breath.

"Are you really that concerned about our behavior?" Slade took a bite out of his steak, and Chazz noticed how his teeth were sharp like daggers or wolf's teeth. Before speaking again, Slade swallowed. "Jagger and I would never misbehave in front of our grandparents—or anyone for that matter. You really need to be concerned about Chazz though, he's still a troublemaking child and needs to grow up yet."

Genevieve wasn't one to show her emotions, but Chazz noticed that his mother was steaming furious. "If I recall correctly, not even five minutes ago, _you two_ were the ones bullying Chazz and force-feeding him something he is _very allergic_ to."

"We just wanted to make sure he got his veggies so he would grow up to be big and strong," Jagger's excuse wasn't working on their mother.

"Did you not hear what I was saying? Do _not_ give Chazz carrots, any other vegetable is fine, but not carrots." Genevieve reiterated, stressing her voice on the 'not'.

"We won't, mother," Slade shook his head. "This was just a misunderstanding."

"We promise," Jagger added. He then swung his cold gaze over to Chazz, who was still trembling slightly. His eyes narrowed and Chazz could swear that his elder brother could see right through him.

Letting out a little whimper, Chazz looked down at his plate and didn't look up for the rest of the meal.

•

It was the next morning and Chazz was walking to school with his friend, Raizou. The morning was wet and cold, from the rainstorm that occurred the previous night. Usually, Chazz enjoyed jumping in puddles and playing in the mud, but today, he was feeling rather glum, so he decided to avoid them.

"You feeling all right, Chazzy?" Raizou asked as he dove feet first into a deep puddle of rainwater. The splash back soaked Chazz's school pants. "You usually jump in the puddles with me."

Chazz felt the corners of his mouth weigh down in a frown. "I'm just not feeling that good today." He had difficulties sleeping due to a plague of nightmares about his brothers and carrots.

"Hey, I know what will cheer you up. I heard there was going to be a Duel Monsters tournament this weekend," Raizou prodded Chazz. "Wanna go? My dad will be taking me and we can get you a ticket."

A Duel Monsters tournament? That sounds like fun! This news immediately cheered the boy up, but then a thought came forward in his mind that dragged him back down. "Yeah! But I might be busy, family is visiting and I'm supposed to be there." Chazz's shoulders slumped in disappointment. Why did Grandma and Grandpa have to visit this weekend of all weekends?

"Just sneak out," The tawny-haired boy laughed. "I do it all the time."

Chazz narrowed his eyes in thought. "It would be easy to get caught with so many people around." Between his family, the maid, butlers, and various other guests, his disappearance would definitely be noticed.

"Well, looks like you can't go then." Raizou sighed.

"I'll think of something!" Chazz blurted out, he didn't want his friend to give up on him already. "I'm gonna go, I'll find a way."

•

It was Saturday, and it was the day that Chazz's grandparents were visiting.

Chazz was organizing his cards in the front foyer, stacking them by different categories. One stack was dedicated to Monster cards, another stack was dedicated to Spell cards, and the last stack was dedicated to Trap cards.

Ms. Bird was strolling by, dusting all the surfaces she could before the guests arrived. Looking down at the little child, she scolded, "Chazz, dear, be sure to clean up your cards before your grandparents arrive. We wouldn't want them to slip on them and fall."

"I am organizing them now," Chazz knocked over a pile of cards with his hand and then began to restack them in a different category.

"What I meant was, put them away and get ready to present yourself. You look like a little ragamuffin." Ms. Bird giggled and tussled Chazz's fluffy, black hair, messing it up further.

"Do not!" Chazz shook his head and began to pick up the stacks of cards. Before he could finish cleaning completely, however, there was a knock on the door.

"They're here!" Ms. Bird gasped.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Chazz dropped everything and dashed towards the door. A butler hurried past him and opened the door for the elderly couple.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Princeton." He bowed his head.

"Yes, yes, good morning to you too," Mr. Princeton barged his way in and was followed by his wife.

"Hi grandma! Hi grandpa!" Chazz waved with a smile.

His grandmother looked down at him and smiled warmly in return. "Oh, Charles, look how much you've grown! Last time I saw you, you were such a little boy." She bent down to give him a hug.

"How have you been, sport? You keeping your brothers in line?" His grandfather boomed.

"Uh, yeah." Chazz looked away, feeling a little uneasy; he really didn't want to be reminded of his brothers at the moment.

Soon enough, the rest of the family gathered in the foyer. Victor shook his father's hand and gave a welcoming hug to his mother. "Shall we take this to the living room?" He outstretched his arm to invite his parents to sit with them.

•

Chazz looked over at the clock, it was already noon. Sitting for the past hour besides his namesake, time seemed to slowly creep by. All he could think about was that Duel Monsters tournament and how he was going to miss out.

"Charles, you're getting quite restless there," his grandfather noticed with a grin, "you got a hot date tonight or something?"

"Ew, no!" Chazz giggled and blushed.

The maid came over and grabbed the child by the hand. "I'll take him outside for a little fresh air, maybe running around will get some of that energy out of him."

Ms. Bird led Chazz outside, where he started playing with a soccer ball he found in the garden.

"It's a nice day outside," Ms. Bird looked up at the blue sky and admired the weather. "Don't you think so, Chazz?"

"Yes, Ms. Bird." Chazz nodded and kicked the ball into a patch of flowers. He dove into the foliage to fetch the ball, and emerged covered in flower petals.

Realizing just how thick this garden was, he could easily escape and run to Raizou's house undetected! He wouldn't be gone long… a few hours at most.

Chazz made sure to play with the soccer ball in front of the maid for a few minutes, so she knew where he was. Then, with one kick, he began his master plan. Chazz kicked the ball into the thick bushes and trees and chased after it.

Leaving the ball behind, he found a hole in the wooden fencing, hidden behind some ferns and grass. "Here we go," Chazz whispered excitedly and tried to squeeze through. He ducked under and pushed his body past the wooden fence, but not without tearing his nice dress shirt and mucking his pants up with mud. "Oops, he winced and pressed on. His mother won't be too happy.

After all that effort, he was outside the walls of the Princeton Manor, and was free! "Now time to find Raizou, I hope I'm not too late," Chazz ran off towards his friend's house, which, if he remembered correctly, wasn't that far.

When he got to Raizou's place, he scampered up to the front door and knocked excitedly. He took a step back when the door opened to reveal Raizou's mother, Mrs. Mototani.

"Oh, Charles, what are you doing here? And why are you so dirty?" She gasped, raising a hand to cover her mouth.

Chazz looked down and noticed just how dirty he actually was. Whoops. Looking back up, he told her, "Raizou said there was a Duel Monsters tournament today and I wanted to go too."

"Did your parents say it was okay?" The mother placed her hands on her hips.

"Yes!" Chazz blurted out the lie with confidence.

"Chazz! You made it!" Raizou skidded around the corner and bounded up to stand beside his mom. "I thought you said you couldn't go?" He tilted his head in confusion.

Raising an eyebrow, Raizou's mother gave Chazz a questioning glare. "I thought you said your parents said it was okay?"

"I did! There was a change of plans." Chazz covered his tracks with another quick lie. "I can go, I can go for sure." He wasn't very comfortable with the thought of lying, but the tournament trumped any moral standards he held.

Raizou smiled and said, "Well, dad is getting ready to leave now! We're gonna be taking the van. I'm so excited!" He ran back into the house and disappeared up the stairs.

"Well, you might as well come in and wait inside, and maybe wash up and get some of that mud off of you," Mrs. Mototani invited the young Princeton in.

•

Chazz pressed his face against the window of the backseat of the car. He could hardly contain himself, going to a Duel Monsters tournament! He wondered what it was going to be like, what kind of monsters the duelists are going to summon, how large the crowd would be, what it would be like to duel in front of a crowd that size…

"Chazz? Chazz you okay?" Raizou shook Chazz's shoulder, breaking the small child out of his trance.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine. Just deep in thought."

"Well, hold that thought because we're here!" Raizou opened the car door and excitedly tripped out of the van. His father calmly got out of the car and shut the door behind him.

When Chazz stepped out of the vehicle and looked up at the stadium in the distance, he could hardly believe his eyes. The KaibaDome was a sight to behold, and looked like a palace of some sort. His jaw dropped and left his mouth agape.

Raizou sighed and shoved Chazz with his elbow. "Wow can you stay awake for more than five minutes?"

"Sorry!" Chazz blinked and shook his head, his black hair becoming slightly messier. "Just impressed, that's all."

Raizou laughed and led the way, not waiting for Chazz or Mr. Mototani to catch up. "C'mon you guys, we're gonna miss the first duel!" He stopped and hopped from foot to foot, eagerly trying to wait for the others.

"Hold on there, Raizou." Mr. Mototani warned. "Try not to get too far! Don't want to lose you." Chazz nodded in agreement. He didn't want to get lost either… the thought of his parents freaking out over his absence already had his tummy in knots.

"So, where are the duelists?" Chazz wondered. "Maybe we could get autographs!" A sudden burst of excitement at the thought of getting a signature from an elite duelist overcame him.

"I'm sure they're around, we'll have to look for them." Raizou's father said. He then looked around at his surroundings. "Boys, I have to use the restroom. Can I trust you two to stay put outside while I go?"

Both children nodded furiously. "Yes, sir!" They said in unison.

"All right, I won't be long, I promise!" Mr. Mototani disappeared behind the men's room door.

After a few seconds of silence between the two, Raizou had a mischievous grin stretch across his face.

Chazz noticed this and felt his heart start to race. What was his friend up to now? This was the last place that Chazz wanted to get in trouble! "What is it?"

"Let's go look for some duelists while we wait for my dad! He always says it won't take long, but we all know the truth." Raizou waved his hand dismissively and chuckled. "So instead of wasting our time here, let's go get some autographs! I brought a notebook." He pulled out his Dark Magician notebook with a ballpoint pen. The cover showed signs of wear and tear, and some pages were already torn out.

Chazz realized that he didn't have a notebook! Or a pen, for that matter. "Aw, I forgot something to write with," he sulked.

"No worries, we'll share!"

"Really? Thank you, Raizou!" Chazz brightened up. He felt lucky to have such good friends.

Raizou smiled and tucked the pen into the cover of his notebook. "No problem! Now enough chit-chat, we have some duelists to find!"

•

It had only been ten minutes, but they still couldn't find any one of any mention to get an autograph from. They found a guy dressed up as Thousand Dragon, and another guy dressed up as Celtic Guardian, but no actual duelists.

"Well this stinks." Chazz huffed. "Where are all the duelists?"

"Maybe they're in locker rooms, or something." Raizou suggested with a shrug of his shoulders. Chazz figured that his friend was right, it was just before the big tournament was about to begin, the duelists must be preparing mentally and whatnot for the games.

"Let's go find your dad then," Chazz offered. "He's probably looking for us."

When they arrived back at the men's restroom, there was no sign of Raizou's father. The boys decided that he must not have finished his business yet and so they propped themselves against a wall.

Lo and behold, they were correct. Mr. Mototani strolled out of the men's room as if he had only been in there for a mere few minutes. "Hey boys! Told you that you didn't have to wait long. Now let's go find our seats."

•

Chazz stepped on the escalator to bring him up to the fourth level, where their seats were located. He was still in awe of the whole stadium, from the architecture to the crowds. There had to easily be thousands of people here!

He cautiously stepped off the escalator and waited for Raizou and his father to step off as well.

"Our seats are… level four, section 407, row five, seats one, two, and three." Mr. Mototani told them. Chazz nodded.

"I wanna find them!" Raizou shoved Chazz aside and ran towards the sign that said "Sections 400-410" with an arrow pointing straight ahead.

Chazz laughed and sprinted after his friend, leaving Mr. Mototani behind in the dust.

When he came upon the stairs leading down into the section, Chazz could hardly believe his eyes. The stadium was HUGE. The field was expansive and barren, save for two stands where the duelists would play their cards. Chazz tried to picture giant dragons and fierce warriors fighting on the field, but it was far too amazing and grand to even imagine in his mind.

Crowds of people filled the stands, and the white noise of the shouting and conversations filled his ears.

"Going in a trance again, Chazzy?" Raizou giggled and shoved the young Princeton. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah… cool…" Chazz breathed.

Mr. Mototani caught up and sat on the aisle seat, beside his son. "You two are just so full of energy, I can hardly keep up!" He said with an exhausted sigh.

"Sorry, dad!" Raizou beamed. "We're just so excited to be here! Will Kaiba be dueling today?"

Kaiba? Chazz recognized that name. It was only plastered all over Domino City. He thought he heard his dad mention the name before, too.

Seto Kaiba.

"I believe so!" Mr. Mototani looked at the schedule given to them at the gate. Besides being filled with coupons, advertisements, and facts about the game, the schedule booklet contained a list of the duelists and how the tournament would be run throughout the day. "Yup, it says he will be dueling in the tournament. I'm not surprised."

Chazz looked back onto the field. Maybe he will see the legendary Blue Eyes White Dragon! _Well,_ he thought, _if Kaiba is dueling for sure, then he will definitely be using that card._

Suddenly, the lights dimmed and a bright, intense spotlight shown onto the center of the field. A tall man with silvery, long hair stood proudly in the light. His red suit was very striking, and he had an air of elegance around him.

"Welcome, everyone! As the creator of Duel Monsters, I'm pleased to announce the beginning of the tournament this morning. Please welcome all the duelists who will be playing today!" He stretched out his hand to beckon those that were shrouded in the shadows at the edge of the field. One by one, the duelists marched out to meet the man.

"That's Maximillian Pegasus!" Raizou whispered excitedly to Chazz.

That name sounded familiar too. The eccentric man was best known for his discoveries in ancient Egypt and used those discoveries to create the game now known as Duel Monsters. Chazz could hardly believe he's seeing such an icon with his own eyes.

The lights changed once again, and another tall man strolled out. His posture showed that he commanded respect and attention. He wore a white coat that billowed out behind him, making his appearance even more intimidating and impressive.

"Ooooh, Kaiba-Boy, I'm so glad that you're here for the tournament! It will be an absolute pleasure to see you and your dragons."

"It's at my stadium why wouldn't I be here?" Kaiba grumbled. Even through the mic attached to his coat, his voice was deep and had a rough, gritty edge to it.

Pegasus ignored the remark and continued on. "On that note, we should start the games~!"

Chazz fidgeted in his seat anxiously, how he wished he was down there right now! How he wished that he had the talent to duel, to win, and to have purpose.

•

The duels were just as fantastic and grand as the stadium they were held in. Many of the duels were close, with each duelist neck-and-neck in Life Points. But when Kaiba dueled, he trounced any competition he faced. It was almost unfair! But Chazz couldn't help but be awe inspired by the power that Kaiba held, how he didn't fear any challenge or any opponent. Chazz wished that he could feel the same.

Another duelist caught his attention too. A young man named Koyo Hibiki, who played rather well, especially since he was up against some intimidating opponents.

Chazz imagined himself as a professional duelist, facing off with all kinds of people, overcoming odds and becoming a champion. His brothers would watch him and realize just how useful he was, that he could do something for the Princeton name!

He could almost hear their apologies, this time sincere.

But that was a long way into the future, and Chazz could still feel the heaviness of doubt rest in his heart.

•

The tournament had ended, and before they could go back to the car, Chazz needed to use the restroom. He shouldn't have had so many sodas.

"We'll wait for you over by the exit in section 120, okay? It's closest to our parking spot." Mr. Mototani told him and left with Raizou to wait at a less crowded space.

"Okay!" Chazz said and ran to the nearest restroom. When he got to the men's restroom door, a sign was hung up saying that it was currently being cleaned and it will be another fifteen minutes before the bathroom would be open again. "Shoot! I don't have fifteen minutes!" Chazz bit his lower lip and crossed his legs while he was thinking of a backup plan.

There was a map nearby that the locations of restrooms, restaurants, and souvenir shops listed. "The map!" Chazz whimpered and ran over to read it. The nearest bathroom was on the next level. With a sigh, he took the stairs (no time for the slow escalator) and looked for the restroom.

Glancing down all the aisles and halls, he finally found what he thought was the restroom on the map.

Relieving himself, Chazz exited the restroom and then realized that in his haste, he didn't remember what exit that Raizou took.

Looking around, all his surroundings looked the same, especially with his anxiety slowly growing. He remembered taking the stairs need by, so he headed towards the stairs that he thought he used previously.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, he once again took in his surroundings. To Chazz, every shop, every stand looked similar. They had Blue Eyes White Dragons all over them! Everywhere he looked, was another dragon, another shade of blue or silver.

"I just gotta keep looking," he told himself. "I can't just stay put, I won't find the exit that way." The boy decided to walk off into any direction, it's gotta lead to an exit somewhere.

While paying more attention to the signs hanging from the ceiling instead of what, or who, was in front of him, Chazz was knocked back onto his bottom.

"Oof!" He said as he fell with a thud. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead where he knocked into something. Looking up to see what was in his way, he realized that a person was standing there.

Chazz immediately began to sweat nervously and tremble. "S-sorry, sir, I didn't mean to! I was lost and— "

The man turned around and it was none other than Seto Kaiba himself. Chazz fell into a deeper state of terror and awe when he realized who he bumped into.

A young teen was with the elite duelist, and he had shaggy black hair that fell past his shoulders. His gray eyes held much more warmth and friendliness than Seto's.

"Aw, it's okay!" The teen said. "You said you were lost? Do you need help?" His eyes widened with concern.

"Y-yes…" Chazz stuttered. "I-I came with a-a friend and his d-dad."

"Do you know their phone number?" Seto asked. "I can have Mokuba here call them for you." Even when he was trying to be helpful, his voice was gruff and monotone.

"I-I think I do…" Chazz relayed what information he knew about Raizou's family and Mokuba contacted them for him.

"Yes, we'll be taking him home, you don't have to worry about him." Mokuba said into his cell phone. "Seto and I have a ride arranged for him."

Take him home?!

"Let's get you home now," Mokuba held Chazz's hand and got the boy back onto his feet. "Seto and I will make sure you get home safe, right, Seto?"

"Of course." Seto grunted. "Have the chauffeur out with the car in five."

•

Chazz sat in the car across from Seto Kaiba. _Seto Kaiba_ , Chazz thought excitedly. He could hardly breathe.

"Do you play Duel Monsters, uhhh, what's your name?"

"Ch-Charles Princeton, sir. B-but most p-people call me Chazz." He tried to swallow, but his mouth ran dry.

"Chazz, huh? And you're a Princeton. I'm going to assume you're the son of Victor Princeton, right?" Seto was intrigued by the boy he had just met. How odd that the leader of such a large company would let his son out of his eyesight like that. Especially with such dirty clothes. But Seto had a different upbringing than most, he figured the Princetons had their own way of doing things.

"Y-yes, sir." Chazz nodded.

"Well, tell him I said 'hello'," Seto gave a smirk. "Back to the original question, do you play Duel Monsters?"

Chazz nodded once again. "Yes, sir, I recently began playing, actually." He thought of his deck back home that was sitting on his nightstand.

"Well, I suppose I should give you these, hopefully they might help your deck out one day." Seto reached into his pocket and pulled out several packs of cards.

Mokuba smiled broadly and looked up from his Nintendo DS. "Wow big bro, I didn't know you could be so charitable." His teasing tone was not lost on Seto, who rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smirk.

"He's just a kid who's lost, I'm sure he could use something to cheer him up," Seto looked out the car window.

If Chazz wasn't speechless before, he definitely was now. He held the unopened packs in his hands, feeling the thin foil between his fingers. It felt so smooth.

"Th-thank you!" Chazz beamed. He didn't know what else to say, this was such an amazing gift, from an amazing duelist.

"Yeah, no problem." Seto leaned back into the leather seats.

His mind suddenly drifted away from the cards and Chazz thought about what his parents were gonna say. He hoped they didn't punish Ms. Bird for his actions. She wasn't at fault.

There was no more time for speculating on his punishment, the car pulled up to the gate to the Princeton Manor and the chauffeur told the guard that he was bringing back the young boy. The guard flipped a switch, which allowed the gates to open.

"Now next time, remember to stay close to whoever you're with, and don't get lost!" Seto warned. He gave a small smile (which surprised Mokuba even further).

Chazz got out of the car, and before he could shut the door behind him, Seto caught his attention.

"Oh, and good luck with your dueling."

"Th-thank you, sir!" Chazz bowed his head in respect. Closing the door to the car behind him, he held the packs of cards close, cherishing the gift.

Now to face the punishment that awaited him inside.


	4. Episode 4: Punishment!

A/N Holy smokes I'm on a roll with getting these chapters done. I've been in a writing mood rather than a drawing mood lately. Plus watching GX with my friend has made me want to work on Chazz's backstory even more. This chapter gets kinda heavy, and there's a lot going on between the characters. Please fave/follow/comment/critique and most importantly, enjoy!

 **Episode 4**

 **Punishment: No More Duel Monsters?**

Chazz stood at the entryway, with the large, ornate front doors towering over him. The porchlights glowed ominously, and suddenly, home didn't feel like home. He swallowed, but his throat was dry. A few tears welled at the corners of his eyes and terror gripped him.

What would Ms. Bird say?

What would his brothers do to him?

What would his _father_ do to him?

The door knob turned, indicating someone from the other side was opening the door. Chazz let out a squeak and almost fell backwards down the porch steps.

When the door opened widely, it revealed a startled Ms. Bird. "Oh, dear Chazzy you're all right!" She cried and knelt down to hug him. "We were all so worried about you, we thought you got lost, or kidnapped, or worse!"

Chazz began to cry even harder. "I'm sorry Ms. Bird! I just really wanted to go to the tournament!" He sobbed, choking on his tears.

"Why didn't you just ask?" She held him in front of her face, putting her plump hands on his tiny shoulders. "We would've let you go."

Chazz wiped away his hot tears with a muddy sleeve. "Really?" He whimpered.

"Of course. At least, I would have. You should be having fun with your friends, not sitting in a stuffy house." She smiled. "Unfortunately, I'm only the maid and not your mother. I have no power in these matters." She looked away from him. Chazz wondered what that look on her face was. Was it… longing of some sort? He couldn't tell.

The young boy nodded, knowing his parents definitely would have a say in these matters. He feared the worst.

"Let's get you inside now, you need to get cleaned up and present yourself in front of your parents. They need to have a word with you." Ms. Bird held his pale hand and led him inside the front foyer. "Oh, you little scamp, you're so dirty! You were like this all day?" Her eyes widened in bewilderment.

Chazz let out a tiny laugh. "Yeah!"

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Nope!" Chazz shook his head. "Not one bit."

"Well, it bothers me, so we're gonna clean you up. Your mother will have a fit if she sees you were like this all day. And your father… he wouldn't want you representing the Princeton name in clothes like _that_."

Chazz winced hard. He quickly remembered that he was with Seto Kaiba of all people earlier, and how embarrassing and sorry he must have looked. While recalling the car ride with the Kaiba brothers, Chazz realized the card packs were still in his pocket!

"Ms. Bird!" He squeaked.

"Hm?" She smiled softly and looked at him with warmth.

"Wanna see what Seto Kaiba gave me?" Chazz dug into his pockets and pulled out the packs of Duel Monsters cards. "Look! He gave them to me for my deck!" He wanted to open them so badly, but before he could, Ms. Bird took them from him.

"Oh my, really?" Mr. Kaiba gave you these?" She peered at them closely. "I wouldn't want to get them ruined with your bath, so how's about I keep them with me for safety? I'll give them back to you after you get cleaned up." The maid pocketed them in her apron.

Chazz agreed. He didn't think about that, of course the water and steam from his bath would ruin them! "Okay!" He said.

The two strolled over the bathroom near Chazz's bedroom on the third floor. The bathroom was large and ornate, fitting in with the rest of the house. Marble floors stretched out in front of them and matching marble counters lined the wall. A large mirror ran the length of the countertops and was outlined with a golden frame. A large, porcelain bathtub sat in a corner, with decorative knobs for the hot and cold water.

"Would you like a bubble bath?" Ms. Bird asked the boy.

"Yes please!" Chazz liked bubble baths, they made bath-time much more tolerable. Getting lost in the mounds of bubbles was like an adventure.

Ms. Bird opened a closet door to grab the bubbles and the towels. "Chazzy, dear, would be some help and put these towels over by the tub?"

"Yes, Ms. Bird!" Chazz ran over to her, grabbed the towels and ran back to the tub. He placed a washcloth over the edge of the tub, and placed a larger towel for drying beside the bottom.

Ms. Bird came over and began running the warm water. "Now, I know you like to pour the bubbles in— "

"I do!"

"All right, just be sure to not pour too much in," the maid warned.

"I won't," Chazz grabbed the bottle of bubble solution and poured it under the running water with two hands. "There we go!" He was happy when he saw the bubbles beginning to form in the water.

"I'll let you take your bath and get dressed, come get me when you're done." Ms. Bird closed the door to the bathroom and left Chazz alone to finish his bath.

When the water was to his preferred temperature, Chazz turned the knob to stop the water flow. Stripping down, he gently lowered himself into the tub. The bath water was soothing and inviting, and for a mere moment, Chazz felt as though as his troubles left him.

•

After soaking for quite a while (one, to make sure he was clean, and two because he wanted to avoid his family for as long as possible), Chazz drained the tub and then dried himself off with the fuzzy, white towel that Ms. Bird left him, allowing it to envelop him in the warm comfort.

Chazz hopped up onto a stepstool that allowed him to reach the countertop. A stack of pajamas was waiting for him. Chazz dressed himself in the sleepwear and then looked at himself in the mirror.

His usually fluffy, spiky, black hair was still drenched in water, and it clung to the sides of his face. Using a towel, he ruffled his hair which allowed it to fluff up. After he removed the towel from his face, he looked up and made eye contact with his reflection.

What he saw looking back at him was a boy who looked timid, weak, and helpless.

That boy was him, he realized.

Breaking away from the mirror, Chazz jumped down and opened the door to find Ms. Bird. It didn't take long, she was just down the hall in his room, uncovering his bed and fluffing his pillow.

"Did you have a relaxing bath, Chazz?" She asked.

"Yes, Ms. Bird." Chazz replied with a mumble. The haunting image in the mirror still bothered him.

Ms. Bird's intuition picked up on this. "What's wrong, dear? You look sick, or something is bothering you." She sat on the bed and patted the space beside her to invite the boy to sit with her. "Come here," she said softly.

Chazz hopped up on the bed and allowed Ms. Bird to put her arm around his shoulders. "Does my family hate me?" He muttered.

"What in the name of—Chazz, don't say that!" Ms. Bird's face contorted into a frown. "Why would you think something as horrible as that?"

Chazz didn't meet her gaze and instead looked at his bare feet. "When I was with Raizou's family today, they didn't say mean things to him, and his dad spent time with us. He wasn't ignored." His mind flashed back to the events prior and he remembered how much fun he had spending time with the Mototanis.

"Well, your parents are very, very busy and important people. They don't have time for games and fun," Ms. Bird knew what she was saying was not a good excuse, but she couldn't just lie to the kid.

"Then why did they have me?" Chazz grumbled. "I wish I didn't exist. Then maybe my parents would be happier."

" _Charles Victor Princeton!_ Don't you _dare_ say that." Now Ms. Bird was on the verge of tears. "Don't you ever wish that you didn't exist, life is such a precious gift, and not everyone is lucky to be alive," her voice trailed off. "Chazz, darling, I love you like you are my own. Believe me, you are loved, your parents care about you."

Even though he was touched by her words, Chazz still felt a glimmer of anger. "Then why don't they protect me from my brothers? Why do they allow them to hurt me?" Every day there was some new bruise or scratch from the ongoing bullying that he received from his older brothers, not to mention the emotional damage they caused.

"They may not be good parents, but they love you. I was there when you were born, and the look your mother gave you is a look that only a mother can give to her child." Ms. Bird held Chazz closer. Usually, Chazz fought hugs and physical signs of affection, but this time he didn't feel like fighting back, in fact, he welcomed the fondness.

Chazz whimpered. "Thank you, Ms. Bird." He sniffled, trying to hold back more tears.

"It may not be obvious now, but you have a purpose in this world. If anything, you make my days a little bit brighter." Ms. Bird smiled at him.

"I do?" Chazz looked up and met her smile.

"You sure do." The maid gave him one last hug. "Now, speaking of your parents, we should go meet them. I do agree that you should be punished for running away, you caused quite a stir and almost gave me a heart attack!"

Chazz blushed in embarrassment, feeling his ears grow hot.

•

Ms. Bird knocked on a large, mahogany door. Chazz knew this door all too well, it was the door to his father's office. This room was off limits to Chazz.

"Come in," a deep, gruff voice barked from the other side.

Chazz held onto Ms. Bird's hand as she took him in to the large office. He felt dwarfed against the large pieces of antique furniture and windows. The glittering lights of Domino City twinkled outside the panes of glass, mimicking the stars in the sky.

"Charles." Mr. Princeton had his hands folded in front of his face, and his sharp eyes glared over the top of his entwined fingers. "Take a seat."

Chazz noticed his mother was sitting in a leather chair beside his father's desk. Slade and Jagger sat together on a sofa. Chazz took a seat in a vacant chair that was placed in front of the desk, directly in the line of sight of his father's piercing gaze. "Y-yes, father."

"We are very disappointed in you," Mr. Princeton began. "You left home without letting us know. You did not ask for permission to attend the tournament. You ruined your expensive clothes. You wasted Mr. Kaiba's time by having him drive you home from the tournament." The man's eyebrows furrowed and his eyes narrowed even more.

"Not to mention you were very rude to your grandparents, just leaving the house while they were visiting." Mrs. Princeton frowned. "They were our guests."

"Do you know how embarrassed I was in front of my own parents?" Chazz's father immediately stood to his feet, shoving the wooden chair behind. His palms slammed the desk with a smack. "It looked as though I couldn't even keep an eye on my own child!"

Chazz flinched. He didn't think of that.

"We feel as though you should be punished," Mrs. Princeton announced. Slade and Jagger both had malicious smiles creeping across their faces. They enjoyed watching their little brother get in trouble.

"I have an idea for a punishment," Jagger stood to his feet and turned towards his father. Chazz's mother looked at her middle child with slight surprise, as if she wasn't expecting him to speak up.

"Yes, Jagger?" Mr. Princeton nodded to his son, allowing him to speak.

"I say we take away his Duel Monster cards, and not allow him to duel. Considering he went to a Duel Monsters tournament, I say the punishment should fit the crime." Jagger's icy voice cut through Chazz like a frozen blade. Take away his cards?! The one thing that made him happy?

Mr. Princeton expressed agreement. "Smart, Jagger."

Jagger's posture became even more straight with the praise. His pointed chin was held ever so higher.

"No!" Chazz jumped to his feet too, then slapped a hand over his mouth, realizing he just talked out of turn.

His father glowered at him, and Chazz could feel the anger radiating from the man's body.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't m-mean to speak out of t-turn…" Chazz looked away and sat back down, his legs dangling from the chair. He looked down at his feet, not wanting to make eye-contact with anyone in the room.

"Charles, you broke the rules, and now you have to face the punishment. I believe that Jagger's suggestion is appropriate, so I will implement it immediately. Confiscate your cards and no more Duel Monsters for a month. Slade? Jagger?" Mr. Princeton faced the eldest sons.

"Yes, father?" Slade stepped forward and stood tall.

"Please confiscate the cards from Charles' room."

"Of course. We'll do so immediately." Before Slade turned to leave, he glanced at Chazz, who was silently weeping. Chazz knew that his cards were as good as gone. There's no way that Slade or Jagger would spare any of them. It was only a matter if he was going to find the ashes or the shreds of paper that were left of them.

The brothers left, and Chazz could hear the click of the door when it was shut tight. He used his pajama sleeve to wipe away any remaining tears before looking up at his father.

"Maybe next time, you'll learn to think before you act. And not leave home without explicit permission." Mr. Princeton growled. "Now leave. Go to bed, it is past your bedtime."

Chazz nodded feverishly and scrambled out of the seat. He hurried out of the room without looking back at either of his parents. He wanted to go and cry alone.

•

"I think you were a little harsh with him," Mrs. Princeton said softly after her youngest had left and was out of earshot. "You know he cares a lot about those cards. I haven't seen him so happy in such a long time."

Victor sighed and then looked up at his wife. "Yes, but how else would he be punished? At least now he'll remember to follow the rules. Slade and Jagger had just as bad of punishments when they were children. I'm treating Charles no differently."

"But… he's not Slade or Jagger. He's Chazz. He's different from the two of them in so many ways." Genevieve looked up at the family portrait on the fireplace. The only one missing was Chazz. Slade and Jagger both looked like stone statues, their eyes cold and calculating. Even in a painting, they were intimidating. "He's much more soft than the other two, he's sensitive to feelings and others around him."

"There's no room for feelings and emotions in the dog-eat-dog world of business or politics," Victor sighed. "If he is to be successful and follow the ways of the Princetons, he's going to have to have those sensitivities ripped out from him, and I intend to do just that."

Genevieve gasped. "You can't!" She strode over to the desk briskly and crossed her arms. "I won't let you turn Chazz into a heartless beast like you did with the other two."

If she thought hard enough, Genevieve could recall a time when her little boys were something other than the cold, harsh businessmen they are now.

 _"Mommy, look I made you a butterfly!" Slade held up a crudely cut paper butterfly that he made out of blue construction paper. "Do you like it? Do you, mommy?" He bounced up and down excitedly, his black, curly hair bouncing with him._

 _"Of course! Look how beautiful it is, did you make it all by yourself today in school?" Genevieve tenderly held the craft._

 _"Yes I did! All by myself!" Slade held up his hands to show all the marker stains and spots of dried glue as proof._

What happened?

"I still think you were too severe for him." She left without another word, leaving Victor Princeton alone at his desk in the twilight.

•

When Chazz got to his bedroom, he looked on his nightstand for his deck box. As he predicted, it wasn't there. Only air occupied the space previously held by his cards.

His heart sank and he climbed into bed, burying his face in the blankets and pillows. His plush cat was hidden under the covers, and once he found it. he held it tight.

A knock at the door caught his attention. He peered over the covers to see Ms. Bird standing in the doorway.

"I heard about what happened to your cards," Ms. Bird said solemnly.

"I don't want to talk about it." Chazz pulled the covers back over him, trying to dismiss the maid.

Ms. Bird sighed and walked over to his bedside. "I do have something that I think will cheer you up."

" _Nothing_ will cheer me up." Chazz grunted and flipped over to face opposite of the plump woman. "Nothing." He reiterated.

"Ah, but I think these will," Ms. Bird handed him the unopened packs of cards Seto Kaiba gave him in the car. "I still had them in my pocket."

Chazz could hardly believe his eyes! The cards! "You still had them?" He gasped. Sitting up in bed, he took them from her and held the foil packs.

"If I would have remembered to put them with your deck, there's no way they'd still be here. Jagger and Slade would have made sure of it." Ms. Bird rolled her eyes. "So keep this under wraps." She held a finger up to her lips and made a 'shhh' sound.

The boy looked up at Ms. Bird and happily nodded. "I won't tell anyone, I promise." He meant every word. There was still a flicker of hope.

"Now get some sleep, you had quite the day and I know you're gonna be tired in the morning!" Ms. Bird patted him on the back.

Chazz hid under the covers and rested his head on the pillow. "Good night, Ms. Bird." He yawned.

"Good night, Chazz." Ms. Bird turned the lights off with a flick of her finger.

Chazz put the packs of cards under the pillow for safe keeping. Tomorrow was a new day, and he needed to find a new way to be the best duelist in the world. He needed to find a way to play without his parents or brothers knowing, because if they did, they would ruin it for him. They had already ruined it once, and he won't let them repeat it.

He could play at school… but school was almost out for a year. He would have the whole summer to wait.

That is… unless his friend Raizou had an idea.


End file.
